The echoes of Eurozone debt crisis brought into question the sovereign risk of advanced economies. Understanding factors that influence this risk is key to avoid similar crisis of public debt financing in the future. The main aim of this thesis is to identify which factors influence sovereign entity financing and how the problems of public debt financing arise. This is reached through analysis of debt crisis development and its causes in the GIPS economies.

Unfunded public pension and Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) liabilities impose major threats to local fiscal sustainability, which increases governments' default risk and crowds out funding for essential local services. To close the funding gaps, localities may apply a wide range of fiscal instruments, including increasing taxes, fees, and user charges, issuing debt and bonds, obtaining grants and/or decreasing expenditures. This research compares the US local fiscal choice behavior in the context of the fiscal federalism framework. The goal is to identify the ideal mix of constitutional fiscal rules to preserve local fiscal sustainability. Not only should the rules aim to minimize local adverse fiscal behavior pre-crisis, which may include excessive spending, large accumulations of unfunded liabilities, and over-reliance on external grants, but also allow strong local fiscal adaptive capacity post-crisis. The findings help localities identify any effective and prudent fiscal options available to close their pension funding gaps and contribute to the overall sub-national fiscal institutional reforms. Theoretically, this research introduces a novel analytical framework pertaining to local fiscal sustainability by separating pre-crisis and post-crisis institutional analysis and by consolidating two historically viewed as two competing paradigms, public choice and public finance. I argue that the two approaches are complementary rather than contradictory since public choice theory sets up an institutional prerequisite for normative outcomes to be realized and prevents the occurrence of extreme circumstances. The ideal mix of formal fiscal rules, thus, should induce the balanced budget rule that applies to all budget items, stringent spending and debt limits, and institutionalized local tax authority and stable tax structure, but not tax limits. Tax limits are less effective in constraining government than spending and debt limits due to fiscal gimmicks. Moreover, stringent tax limits could significantly limit local governments' ability to bounce back on their own. This research also found that cities do apply different fiscal strategies to reduce exogenous shocks, given their unique fiscal institutions in place. Furthermore, cities with fewer institutional constraints exhibit a faster speed of adjustment. However, certain institutional variables, such as public union size and tax authority, might not have the same fiscal implications as predicted by the theory. Cities often manage to cut their short-term spending regardless of the size of their public unions. A broad range of tax authority does not imply greater local revenue-generating capacity. Own source revenue autonomy might be a better indicator of local fiscal adaptive capacity. / Doctor of Philosophy / Unfunded public pension and Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) liabilities impose major threats to local fiscal sustainability, which increases governments’ default risk and crowds out funding for essential local services. To close the funding gaps, localities may apply a wide range of fiscal instruments, including increasing taxes, fees, and user charges, issuing debt and bonds, obtaining grants and/or decreasing expenditures. This research compares the US local fiscal choice behavior in the context of the fiscal federalism framework. The goal is to identify the ideal mix of constitutional fiscal rules to preserve local fiscal sustainability. Not only should the rules aim to minimize local adverse fiscal behavior pre-crisis, which may include excessive spending, large accumulations of unfunded liabilities, and over-reliance on external grants, but also allow strong local fiscal adaptive capacity post-crisis. The findings help localities identify any effective and prudent fiscal options available to close their pension funding gaps and contribute to the overall sub-national fiscal institutional reforms. Theoretically, this research introduces a novel analytical framework pertaining to local fiscal sustainability by separating pre-crisis and post-crisis institutional analysis and by consolidating two historically viewed as two competing paradigms, public choice and public finance. I argue that the two approaches are complementary rather than contradictory since public choice theory sets up an institutional prerequisite for normative outcomes to be realized and prevents the occurrence of extreme circumstances. The ideal mix of formal fiscal rules, thus, should induce the balanced budget rule that applies to all budget items, stringent spending and debt limits, and institutionalized local tax authority and stable tax structure, but not tax limits. Tax limits are less effective in constraining government than spending and debt limits due to fiscal gimmicks. Moreover, stringent tax limits could significantly limit local governments’ ability to bounce back on their own. This research also found that cities do apply different fiscal strategies to reduce exogenous shocks, given their unique fiscal institutions in place. Furthermore, cities with fewer institutional constraints exhibit a faster speed of adjustment. However, certain institutional variables, such as public union size and tax authority, might not have the same fiscal implications as predicted by the theory. Cities often manage to cut their short-term spending regardless of the size of their public unions. A broad range of tax authority does not imply greater local revenue-generating capacity. Own source revenue autonomy might be a better indicator of local fiscal adaptive capacity.

Como a sustentabilidade da dívida é afetada por elevados e crescentes níveis de endividamento no Brasil? Esta dissertação introduz uma estrutura teórica e empírica para a estimação de limites endógenos para a dívida bruta do setor público, utilizando um modelo com credores neutros ao risco que avaliam a probabilidade de calote do governo em função do próprio nível de endividamento e da taxa de juros e um governo soberano que segue uma função de reação do superávit ao nível da dívida com propriedade de fadiga fiscal e choques exógenos. Nos dados de 2002 a 2018, as estimativas de limites para o endividamento bruto estão entre 130,8%, no cenário mais provável, até 151,4% do PIB, sob condições mais favoráveis. As taxas de juros estariam entre 22% e 38% a.a., garantindo a sustentabilidade fiscal do governo para os próximos anos, com ressalvas que 1) este é um máximo para a dívida, nada é discutido sobre um nível ótimo de endividamento; e 2) que a trajetória crescente da dívida em anos recentes requer uma atenção especial por parte das autoridades fiscais que desejarem se comprometer com sua sustentabilidade, ainda que ela se situe abaixo de seu máximo. / How the sustainability of public debt changes when rising indebtedness arises? This dissertation introduces the theoretical and empirical framework to estimate endogenous limits to the debt levels, that is, a model with risk-neutral lenders that account for the default probability as a function of indebtedness itself (thus the endogeneity) and the interest rates; and the fiscal authority, which follows a fiscal reaction function with the fiscal fatigue property and exogenous shocks. The estimates for the debt limits in the Brazilian economy stays around 130.8% and 151.4% of GDP, with real interest rates of 38% per year in the first case, using monthly data from 2002 to 2018. This ensures the fiscal sustainability for the next year, but it is worth noting that 1) this is the limit for debt levels; nothing is discussed about the optimal level for the economy as a whole; and 2) the path of rising indebtedness in the recent years needs to be strongly reviewed by whoever wishes to commit to fiscal sustainability in the next government.

nÃo hà / Ao se investigar o equilÃbrio financeiro dos Regimes PrÃprios de PrevidÃncia Social (RPPS) dos servidores pÃblicos, espera-se que os resultados deste estudo contribuam com a literatura empÃrica ainda escassa no Brasil. Seguindo uma modelagem economÃtrica de dados em painel, considerando-se os 22 estados brasileiros no perÃodo 2005â2011, busca-se analisar a solvÃncia dos RPPS atravÃs da metodologia tradicional em sustentabilidade fiscal com restriÃÃo orÃamentÃria intertemporal, ao se testar a estacionaridade da sÃrie representativa do dÃficit previdenciÃrio e da despesa sobre o saldo de servidores ativos, fazendo-se uso de quatro testes alternativos: Levin-Lin-Chu (2002); Im-Pesaram-Shin (2003); Dickey- Fuller (1979) e Phillips-Perron (1988). Os resultados dos testes mostraram que o dÃficit previdenciÃrio nÃo possui raiz unitÃria, sendo assim estacionÃrio tanto no sistema como um todo, como individualmente. A sÃrie despesa sobre saldo de ativos, por seu turno, mostrou-se estacionaria apenas no todo. Conclui-se que o equilÃbrio financeiro, entre as duas abordagens, à mais viÃvel atravÃs do acrÃscimo nas receitas, cuja polÃtica de curto prazo poderia ser direcionada, por exemplo, para o aumento das alÃquotas de contribuiÃÃo previdenciÃria dos entes patrocinadores e dos segurados. AlÃm disso, hà a necessidade de se implementar novas reformas previdenciÃrias no sentido de viabilizar o equilÃbrio financeiro dos RPPS no longo prazo. / At aiming to investigate the financial balance in the Social Security System of public employees (RPPS), it is expected that the results here found contribute to the scarce empirical literature in Brazil. Following a panel data econometric modeling, by taking the 22 brazilian states in the period 2005â2011, it was approached the solvency of RPPS through a traditional methodology in fiscal sustainability under intertemporal budget constraint. In order to verify the stationarity of the series representative of the pension deficit and expenditure on the balance of active workers four alternative tests procedures were considered: Levin-Lin-Chu (2002); Im-Pesaram-Shin (2003); Dickey-Fuller (1979) e Phillips-Perron (1988). The results from the tests showed that the pension deficit present no unit root, which implies stationary series in the social security in both aggregate and individual basis. The expense series on balance of assets, in turn, was stationary only in the aggregate. Besides, It was found that that the financial balance between the two approaches is more feasible through the increase in revenue. This can give the increase in social security contribution rates of sponsors and insured. This does not exclude the need for pension reforms to bring advances to the financial balance of RPPS.

This study examined whether South African government reacted to its debt positions in a sustainable manner during the period 1999 quarter 1 to 2016 quarter 2. Estimation of the fiscal reaction function was conducted by integrating the exogenous short-run impact of monetary policy stance on both primary balance and public debt positions. The VEC model approach was applied to estimate the fiscal reaction function. Results indicate that fiscal policy in South Africa was sustainable during the respective sample period while monetary policy stance had statistically significant impacts on both primary balance and public debt positions. The significant impacts of monetary policy stance on primary balance and public debt show that monetary policy contributes to ensuring fiscal sustainability in South Africa, hence government needs to harmonize monetary efforts in managing public debt. The estimated impact of the business cycle on primary balance positions indicate that fiscal policy was countercyclical in nature. / Economics / M. Com. (Economics)

Como a sustentabilidade da dívida é afetada por elevados e crescentes níveis de endividamento no Brasil? Esta dissertação introduz uma estrutura teórica e empírica para a estimação de limites endógenos para a dívida bruta do setor público, utilizando um modelo com credores neutros ao risco que avaliam a probabilidade de calote do governo em função do próprio nível de endividamento e da taxa de juros e um governo soberano que segue uma função de reação do superávit ao nível da dívida com propriedade de fadiga fiscal e choques exógenos. Nos dados de 2002 a 2018, as estimativas de limites para o endividamento bruto estão entre 130,8%, no cenário mais provável, até 151,4% do PIB, sob condições mais favoráveis. As taxas de juros estariam entre 22% e 38% a.a., garantindo a sustentabilidade fiscal do governo para os próximos anos, com ressalvas que 1) este é um máximo para a dívida, nada é discutido sobre um nível ótimo de endividamento; e 2) que a trajetória crescente da dívida em anos recentes requer uma atenção especial por parte das autoridades fiscais que desejarem se comprometer com sua sustentabilidade, ainda que ela se situe abaixo de seu máximo. / How the sustainability of public debt changes when rising indebtedness arises? This dissertation introduces the theoretical and empirical framework to estimate endogenous limits to the debt levels, that is, a model with risk-neutral lenders that account for the default probability as a function of indebtedness itself (thus the endogeneity) and the interest rates; and the fiscal authority, which follows a fiscal reaction function with the fiscal fatigue property and exogenous shocks. The estimates for the debt limits in the Brazilian economy stays around 130.8% and 151.4% of GDP, with real interest rates of 38% per year in the first case, using monthly data from 2002 to 2018. This ensures the fiscal sustainability for the next year, but it is worth noting that 1) this is the limit for debt levels; nothing is discussed about the optimal level for the economy as a whole; and 2) the path of rising indebtedness in the recent years needs to be strongly reviewed by whoever wishes to commit to fiscal sustainability in the next government.

The aim of the thesis called: Long-term sustainability of state debt financing and the impact on development activities of the Czech government, is to evaluate the long-term sustainability. To achieve this aim the analysis of the development of the Czech state debt and identification of factors working for the deepening of fiscal imbalance was conducted. The work also explores the relationship between state debt and state budget expenditures on development activities of the government. Spending on research, development and innovation were chosen to identify that relationship. On the basis of the analysis there are suggested possible changes in fiscal policy which could contribute to improving the current situation and rebalance.

Les fonctions administratives du gouvernement consistent à fournir les services publics, et à opérer la gestion publique et administrative. Cela nécessite l’utilisation en continu d’importantes sommes d’argent. Or, le principal revenu provenant de la collecte des impôts ne suffit pas pour opérer les missions et les nécessaires activités de l’Etat. C’est la raison pour laquelle, celui-ci doit emprunter davantage aux institutions financières intérieures et extérieures. En Thaïlande, le premier emprunt fut créé à l’ère du Roi Rama V. Et après la Révolution siamoise de 1932, le pays commença à emprunter de plus en plus aux institutions financières internationales et aux gouvernements étrangers pour son développement. Ce sont les crises économiques mondiales qui ont obligé divers pays dans le monde à contracter la dette publique et qui ont fait accroître ladite dette en Thaïlande. La notion de gestion de la dette publique devient alors indispensable et, à cet égard, plusieurs pays ont rendu des lois spéciales. En Thaïlande, la Loi portant sur la gestion de la dette publique B.E. 2548 (2005) et la désignation d’un mandataire constitue la loi fondamentale autorisant le gouvernement à contracter la dette publique, et à la gérer diversement -en raison d’un changement de situation- comme la dette contractée pour le développement économique et social, pour la restructuration de la dette et la mise en œuvre de la politique sur les transactions financières en vue de réduire le risque de dette publique, etc. / The government, as the administration, is responsible for public services, public affairs and administrative missions. It is, therefore, necessary to spend a great number of money consecutively. The main income of the government earned by the tax collection is not enough for its missions and the other necessary things. That’s why it had to loan more and more money from the domestic and international financial institutions. In Thailand, money has been loaned since the reign of King Rama V. After the Siamese Revolution of 1932, Thailand has incurred more public debt from the international financial institutions and foreign governments for country’s development. Public debt of Thailand and different countries has enormously increased while the notion of public debt management has also developed and the special acts on public debt management have been issued in many countries, because of the necessity of incurring public debt of several countries as well as economic crisis happened around the world. In Thailand, the Public Debt Management Act B.E. 2548 (2005) is considered as the principal law authorizing the government to incur and manage public debt in various ways for adapting to changing circumstances such as public debt incurred for social and economic development, for debt restructuring and financial transaction used for reducing the risk on public debt, etc.